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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLINY F. HODGES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAMDEERING, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,805, dated January27, 1880.

Application filed March 25, 1879.

.To'all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PLINY F. HODGES, of thecityof Chicago, Cook county, State of Illinois, haveinvented new anduseful Improvements in Grain-Binders, of which the following is a fulldescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a top or plan view Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, avertical longitudinal section, showing the central shaft in elevation;Fig. 4, a top or plan view with the cap or upper plate removed; Fig. 5,a top or plan view of the supporting-head; Fig. 6, a detail view,showing the cam or eccentric for reciprocating the cutting and holdingplate; Figs. 7 and 8,

detail views, showing the wire cutting and holding plate; Fig. 9, anunder-side view of the upper plate or cap; Fig. 10, a detail view,showing the devices for connecting and disconnecting the head andcentral shaft, as required.

This invention relates to that class of automatic grain-binders usingwire for binding, the wire being carried around the bundle, the strandsthereof twisted together, and the wire severed, the end of the main wirebeing caught as it is severed and held for the operation of binding thenext bundle, and has for its object the performance of the severaloperations of twisting, cutting, and catching and holding the wire bymeans of devices constructed and arranged to operate as a single device,whereby their construction is greatly simplified and their operationrendered more efficient; and its nature consists in providing thereciprocating plate with slits or openings to receive the wire which isto be severed and caught; in'providin g a cutting-plate, which acts tohold the parts together; in constructing the upper face of the head,with which the reciprocating plate is in contact, so as to prevent thesevering of the wire at that point; in providing a stationary cam foroperating the reciprocating plate; in providing an intermittent rotaryshaft, around which the head revolves to reciprocate the wire plate; inmaking the connection between the revolving head and the center shaftautomatic in its operation, and in the several parts and combination ofparts hereinafter set forth as new.

In the drawings, Arepresents the revolving head; A, the hollow shaft orbearing; B, the reciprocating plate; B, the cam-openingin B; C, the cam;D, the central shaft, having an intermittent rotary motion; E, the capor plate for cutting the wire; F, the fastening-nut; G, the platesupporting the locking pawls or clutches; G, the collar of plate G; H,the looking pawls or clutches; I, the driving-pinion; at, the shouldersor wire stops; a, the depression to prevent the severing of the wire;I), the slits or openings in the reciprocating plate; a, theshaft-opening in the reciprocating plate; cl, the portion of the centralshaft which receives the cam and plate; 0, the shaftopening in the cam;f, the flanges in the upper face of the head; g, the recesses oropenings in the flanges f,- h, the locking lugs or projections on thecap or plate E; '5, the shaftopening in the cap E; j, the pawl or clutchpivots; 1c, the springs for operating the clutches or pawls; Z, theouter end or arm of the clutches or pawls; m, the hook or projection onthe inner ends of the pawls; n, the notch in the hollow shaft orbearing.

The head A may be cast or otherwise suitably formed of steel, and islocated on one end end of which shaft is a pinion, I, which gears withareciprocatin g rack, wheel, or other mechanism (not shown) which willgive the head a rotary motion in either direction, as required. Asshown, the head A, shaft or bearing A, and pinion I are made in a singlepiece but the head A and pinion may be made separate and secured to theshaft or bearing.

The head A is in the form of a circular disk, except that its peripheryis notched or cut away, so as to leave two straight portions havingvertical, or nearly vertical, faces diagonally opposite each other, withshoulders at, opposite each other, as shown in Fig. 5.

The plate B is made of steel, and is rectangular in form, with straightsides and circular ends, the are of the circle for the endscorresponding to that of the head A. This plate is located in a suitablechannel or bearing formed by the head, the flanges f, and the plate orcap E, and has a reciprocating movement. Near each end of this plate B,and on opposite sides thereof, is a slit or opening, I), each of whichextends a sufficient distance into the plate to bring their bottoms inline with the shoulders a, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. The length of thisplate B is such that when one end is flush or even with the side of thehead, so as to complete the circle at that point, the other end willproject beyond the side of the head, so as to bring the slit or openingI) therein at its inner edge in line with the straight portion of thehead, which is immediately beneath it, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, andthe slits or openings are so arranged relatively to each other and tothe cut-away or straight portion of the head that when one slit is openor outside of the head the other will be closed or inside of the head,each slit being alternately opened and closed as the plate B isreciprocated. The under face of this plateB is provided with atransverse groove, B, located midway between the ends of the plate, andhaving perpendicular sides, which come in contact with the cam or disk0, by means of which the plate B is reciprocated as the head A revolvesindependently of the shaft D.

The shaft D is provided with a portion, d, having two flat faces, andthe cam or circular disk G has a corresponding opening, 0, located toone side of its center, so that when the cam G is placed on d it will befirmly held. The plate B is also located on this portion (1 of the shaftD, the opening 0 therefor being elongated to allow the plate toreciprocate, and atthe same time preventing it from turning on theshaft.

The shaft D extends through the hearing A, head A, cam 0, plate B, andcap E, suitable openings being provided for this purpose, and the endwhich projects above the cap E is screw-threaded to receive a nut, F, bymeans of which the parts are secured together. The plate or cap E isprovided with circular ends, corresponding to the arc of the circle forthe head A, and with perpendicular or straight sides, which, inconjunction with the plate B, form the means for severing the wire.

It will be seen that the construction and arrangement of the head A,plate B, and cap or cutter plate E is such as to form a true circle whenin position, except at the point where the plate B projects, so that thewire will slip on the periphery thereof to enter the slit B.

The location and arrangement of the parts are clearly shown in Figs. 1and 3.

The depression a in the head A is to receive the strand of wire toprevent it from bein g severed.

The cap E is secured to the flanges f by the lugs h, which enterrecesses g in the flanges, and is provided with an opening, 2', for theshaft D. ()n the end of the shaft D is aplate, G, which may be formedwith the shaft, or be made separate and secured thereto by a collar, G,and a set-screw, or in any other suitable manner. To this plate G, onopposite sides, are pivoted, at j, pawls or clutches H,

the inner ends of which are provided with hooks or projections m, whichenter the opening or notchn on the hearing A and lock the shaft D to thehearing A, so that they will revolve together, the hook being forcedinto the notch by the action of the springs one for each pawl) on theouter ends, I, of the pawls, with which one end of the spring comes incontact, the other end of the spring being secured to a pin or stud onthe plate G. The outer ends, l, of the pawls or clutches Hare arrangedto come in contact with a stop or flange on the rack or wheel (notshown) which drives the pinion I, so as to disconnect the shaft D andbearing A and allow the bearing to revolve independently of the shaft.This can be accomplished by means of a flange or bridge pivoted atoneend to the reciprocating mechanism in such position that when the pinionis making the last half-revolution to complete the twist the end I ofone of the pawls or clutches will come in contact with the flange andride thereon until such halfrevolution is completed, which engagement ofthe end I will raise the inner end of the pawl or clutch from thenotchn, allowing the bearing A to revolve while the shaft D remainsstationary. When the half-revolution is com pleled the hook m on theinner end of the other pawl or clutch will engage with the notch n,again locking the bearing and shaft together, so that with the reversemovement which then takes place the parts will all rotate in the samedirection, the end Zof the pawl or clutch in this movement engaging withthe free end of the movable flange and lifting the flange out of thepath of the pawls or stops, so as not to unlock the shaft and bearingduring such movement.

This movable flange or bridge for obtaining an intermittent rotarymovement in one direction is made the subject-matter of anotherapplication for a patent, to be filed herewith.

Other means than those described can be used for interlocking the shaftand hearing.

In operation, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, theend of the main wire will be caught and held in the slit 1), which isclosed or within thehead A. The wire is then to be carried around thebundle in the usual manner, bringing the strands together. Then themechanism which drives the pinion I is to be reciprocated to rotate thepinion and head A in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2,which rotation of the head will twist the two strands of wire togetherbetween the head A and the bundle. Before the twisting commences thespool-wire or main wire will slip on the periphery of the head and intothe slit 1) which is outside of the head. Such rotary movement of thehead is to be continued until the strands of wire are twisted or coiledaround each other a sufficient number of times to form a securefastening, during which movement the bearing and head and shaft will belocked together by the pawls and clutches until the last half revolutionIIO - bearing and head to rotate, while the shaft remains stationaryduring such half-revolution. This movement of the bearing A and head Aindependent of the shaft D will, through the cam (l, which must alsoremain stationary by reason of its attachment to the shaft, reciprocatethe plate B, the sides of the opening B being in contact with the cam.The reciprocation of B carries the slit 1) which has received the wiretoward and into the head, and projects the opposite end of the platebeyond the head. This movement of the plate will sever the wire betweenthe plate B and cap E, the lower edge of the cap and the outer edge ofthe slit being properly formed for this purpose, and the same movementwill catch the spool or main wire between the under face of the plate atthe slit-opening and the face of the head A in the opening a, into whichthe wire is drawn as the head is rotated, and hold it firmly for thenext operation. As the other end of the plate is carried beyond thehead, the slit 12 therein, which has been closed, will he opened,releasing the wire caught therein, and allowing the bound bundle to bedischarged. After the last half -revolution, which completes thetwisting of the strand and reciprocates the plate B to sever and catchthe wire, a reverse movement is to be given to the parts, the head andshaft being again interlocked, as before described, which movementwillnncoil the main wire from the bearin g, around which it has been coiledbelow the head A, and bring the parts to the proper position for thenext operation, which then takes place, the wire being twisted, severed,and caught, as before described. Such movements will continue till thebinding is completed.

It will be seen that the several operations are thus accomplishedthrough the medium of a single device, consisting of a rotary head and areciprocating plate which rotate around a common center, making asimple, cheap, and efficient means for twistin g, severing, and catchingthe wire for binding purposes.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Arevolving head carrying a reciprocating plate having slots at each endthereof, and arranged to act in conjunction with the head to twist andsever the band and catch and hold the spool end of the wire, the plateand head both revolving around a common center, substantially asspecified.

2. The head A, provided with cut-away portions, forming shoulders to, incombination with the reciprocating plate B, provided with slits b, and areciprocating mechanism for the plate, arranged and operating to passthe wire into one of the slits, twist the strands together, sever, andcatchthe end of the main wire, substantially as specified.

3. The revolving head A and reciprocating plate B, in combination withthe cam O, for reciprocating the plate, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

4. The head A, hollow shaft or bearing A, and reciprocating plate'B, incombination with the shaft D, operating the plate B, and looking pawlsor clutches for locking-the head and shaft together, substantially asand for the purpose specified.'

PLINY F. HODGES.

Witnesses:

0. W. BOND, H. F. Baum.

